The sound of silence

Longshot

This isn't related to my choice in the "One song" thread but is just a bit of a rant to be honest.

I'm sick and tired of not being able to ride on a bike that doesn't make all manner of creaks, squeaks, rattles and other noises.

My Synapse (Bike 1) has been making all manner of noises all year. It started late last year with a creaking under pressure that I put down to the new bottom bracket. After a long investigation by the LBS they diagnosed it as the rear hub of the Aksiums on the bike (and proved it). Having cured that with new wheels, it's immediately compensated by creating a whole load of other noises. Just before RL100 in August I put it in for a quick service and it came out making more noise than before, including some front derailleur chain rubbing. I've cured that on my own but it's now starting a new creak which is crank related (i.e. stop pedalling, no noise) and I suspect (perhaps wrongly) that it's the bottom bracket. I haven't had the cranks off to clean and regrease as I don't have the specific tool but I've cleaned, lubed/greased (as appropriate) everything I'm competent and equipped to do.

Bike 2 is no better. Planet X London Road that I bought to take panniers on a Home-Paris bike ride. It performed brilliantly and (more importantly) quietly all the way. However, in a strange twist of irony, the moment I took the rack off the bike it has rattled as though the rack is still on the bike but only loosely. I've tightened up everything I can think of and a few more bits on top. I'm beginning to think something has come loose inside the frame - it's a pure metallic vibration rattle which generally goes away on smooth tarmac.

First world problems I know but it's driving me round the bend. I actually turned round after five miles on Saturday on Bike 1 and went home as I couldn't stand the noise any more. There's a lot of discussion on this forum about how cycling helps with your mental health and, right now, it's having the opposite effect on me. I'm thinking I just won't bother going out next weekend and put both bikes into the LBS for diagnosis and treatment.

It's got to the point where it's put me off the bikes, especially the Synapse - I've had 18 months of intermittent noise from it and I'm wondering whether me and it weren't made for each other. Shame as it's a really nice bike otherwise.

Sorry, moaning over. I just needed to get that off my cheat.

keef66

Don't assume a creak which stops when not pedalling is crank or BB related. When you freewheel you also stop rocking the bike from side to side, so the creak could still be coming from saddle / rails, seatpost, hubs etc. I once spent a ride thinking the BB was squeaking and it proved to be the saddle bag straps I'd lashed to the saddle rails.

Longshot

Fair point. I have tried to eliminate the other possibilities - when freewheeling I was alternating between standing and sitting, wiggling the bike around etc for that reason.

fenix

Ride when its windy and you won't hear the noise.

mamil314

Try fixie? I am spinning easy 48-19 and it would be way too silent on shared pathways had I not installed hydraulic discs brakes front and back.

step83

Way to rule out the saddle/seatpost would be try an soft pedal out the saddle.
I get what you mean you just want the whoosh of the wheels and click of the freehub, if you like the noise that is.

Longshot

Step83 wrote:

I get what you mean you just want the whoosh of the wheels and click of the freehub, if you like the noise that is.

I do. My new wheels are Hopes and I love the sound from the hubs.

meursault

Pedals? Very common cause of clicks and creaks.

Longshot

meursault wrote:

Pedals? Very common cause of clicks and creaks.

Don't think so. I've had them out and checked them but I suppose I could try a different set and see.

keef66

Other random clicks / creaks which I've always first thought were coming from the BB:

Saddle rails where they enter the plastic shell. Drop of wet lube silenced it.

Dropout / axle / QR skewer area. Hard to say which but pathologically cleaning everything, lightly greasing then reassembling worked.

Headset started clicking when heaving on the bars. That was easier to diagnose, and again sorted by simply stripping down and reassembling with a very light coat of grease. Think it likely to do with a bit of road crap getting in there.

SPD (MTB type) pedals squeaking, but only with one pair of shoes. Silenced by periodically spraying a bit of beeswax furniture polish on the pedals. Recessed cleats and suspect part of the sole of the shoe rubbing on part of the pedal.

Alu seatpost creaking in a carbon frame. Sure sign it needs to come out for a wipe down and a fresh dollop of carbon paste

svetty

Turn your music up

step83

Longshot wrote:

Step83 wrote:

I get what you mean you just want the whoosh of the wheels and click of the freehub, if you like the noise that is.

I do. My new wheels are Hopes and I love the sound from the hubs.

Good man, been enjoying my reynolds, going back to the slightly quieter Novatecs is a disappointment. I have a set of Hope Pro4's I need to build up at some point for some 650b silly wheels

craigus89

Cleats too...

mw22

I've just been going mental with a really bad creaking... only occurred out the saddle and was fresh from a service.

Was convinced it was pedal/cleat combo... so swapped the whole lot for a ride. No difference... Sounds always seems to emit from bottom bracket, but I've made that mistake before.

This morning, took the QR skewer out, wiped it down, sprayed the ends and the springs, wiped the inner of the drops and SILENCE.

Can not believe so much noise from a bit of grime! Second time its been my skewers.

awavey

the thing I really dont get with bike noises, other than I try to mostly put up with them and they go away eventually

but on my cycle cam videos it always sounds like my bike is dragging along a bag of rusty nails, like the hub bearings are totally shot to bits (which they could well be going that way) crunching along, but yet I cant hear anything approaching that kind of noise from the bike at all

zest28

That is why I have a winter bike next to my aero bike.

My aero bike is still 100% perfect while my winter bike which gets used in crappy conditions makes all kinds of noises.

bigjim

I find Aluminium and carbon bikes really noisy. The same with Aero wheels. On my older steel bikes with original 36 spoke wheels, it's almost complete silence. Apart from my grunting on hills of course.

Tiesetrotter

QR skewers .... always the first place to look. Clean them and tighten them real firm.

I speak from experience. I bought a pair of wheels with titanium lightweight skewers and after a week or two of hunting for the cause of an ever-louder squeak I ended up in the bike shop. About three minutes later the mechanic wheeled it out and said, solved. Your QR's weren't tight enough ...... very red-faced departure for me.

I learnt two things, check your QR's and don't use lightweight titanium skewers.

skeetam

Tiesetrotter wrote:

QR skewers .... always the first place to look. Clean them and tighten them real firm.

I speak from experience. I bought a pair of wheels with titanium lightweight skewers and after a week or two of hunting for the cause of an ever-louder squeak I ended up in the bike shop. About three minutes later the mechanic wheeled it out and said, solved. Your QR's weren't tight enough ...... very red-faced departure for me.

I learnt two things, check your QR's and don't use lightweight titanium skewers.

I've learnt this too. Stock Mavic skewers were replaced with Shimano Ultegra ones and... silence!